What does it mean to be “young in your 40s” in South Korea? It is clearly not intended as a compliment on one’s youthful looks.

A new survey released Wednesday examining perceptions of the recently emerged label “Young Forty” found that the term is strongly associated with negative images, particularly behavioral traits such as trying too hard to look younger, imitating younger people’s fashion and trends, or pursuing younger people for dating.

An illustration of a man in his 40s recently went viral online and was quickly dubbed the "young forty look." (X)
An illustration of a man in his 40s recently went viral online and was quickly dubbed the "young forty look." (X)

The poll by Hankook Research of 1,000 adults nationwide showed that 50 percent of respondents familiar with the term held a negative view. Among men in their 20s and 30s, that figure rose to 63 percent — the highest of any group — while those aged 60 and older were more likely to view it positively.

Nearly half of respondents (49 percent) described it as “acting younger than one’s age,” followed by “copying younger generations’ fashion, hobbies and culture” (48 percent), and “being overly authoritative” (41 percent). Multiple responses were allowed.

Among respondents aged 18 to 29, 60 percent associated the term with “inappropriately approaching younger people,” a perception far higher than in older age groups.

The survey was conducted Feb. 6-9, among 1,000 adults in South Korea.


milaya@heraldcorp.com